


i like your reckoning (but we got our methods and there's nothing here to stop us)

by ambrosespellmanz



Category: Katy Keene (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gossip Girl Fusion, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambrosespellmanz/pseuds/ambrosespellmanz
Summary: Spotted on the steps of the Met: a J and A power struggle. Did J think she could waltz home and things would be just like they were? Did A think J would go down without a fight? Or can these two hotties work it out? There’s nothing Gossip Girl likes more than a good cat fight and this could be a classic.
Relationships: Alexandra Cabot & Chuck Clayton & Reggie Mantle & Josie McCoy, Alexandra Cabot/Chuck Clayton, Alexandra Cabot/Reggie Mantle, Chuck Clayton/Josie McCoy, Josie McCoy/Raj Patel, Kevin Keller & Josie McCoy, Reggie Mantle/Josie McCoy
Kudos: 2





	1. Coming Home

Josie pours into Grand Central station with the other train riders, dragging her suitcase across the floor. Despite living her since she was five years old, Josie feels out of place. Like she didn’t belong here anymore.

She expected— _hoped_ —that there’d be a welcoming party or at least someone she recognized to come pick her up. Josie knows that her mom is busy with mayor stuff and Tom has put all his energy into work to distract himself from Kevin’s absence, but she thought they’d at least take a break to come and pick her up.

Josie scans the entire room but finds neither of them.

It’s been a whole year since convinced her mom to send her to a private school in Kentucky, claiming that she wanted to be closer to her father. Truthfully, they barely spent any time together. St. Francis School allowed students to leave campus, but she could only bear to be around her father for so long.

She spots her name, well her nickname, on a whiteboard. A plump man wearing a plain black tux is holding it, distracted as he checks the time on his watch. Of course her mother sent a driver to pick her up because she couldn’t take one second out of her busy schedule for her only child.

Josie rolls her eyes as she begins approaching him, unaware of the person on the balcony above her snapping a picture of her. She wanted to wait until she was well rested before the calls from old friends started blowing up her phone and she was bogged down with questions. She wanted peace.

❖

“Raj! Tina!”

He follows the sound of his father’s voice, turning to his left to see him coming their way.

“Hey, Dad,” Tina greets him with a hug, joyous.

Raj settles for a one-arm hug. A bit of him despised his parents for putting them in the middle of their dispute. He’s praying that his dad doesn’t ask them any awkward questions, but he knows that he will.

“Welcome back. How was your weekend? How’s your mom?”

“She’s fine.”

“She’s good.”

Raj grimaces as he and Tina reply at the same time, words overlapping.

“She’s fine and good.”

“S-S-She’s good and fine,” Raj stutters, rubbing at the back of his neck with his free hand.

His dad nods, “Like ‘maybe I should have never left Manhattan’ fine or ‘taking a time out from my marriage was the best idea I ever had’ fine?”

This what Raj meant by his parents putting them in the middle. “You know what, Dad? I am starving,” he swiftly changes the subject.

His father glances between the pair, finally taking the hint. “Let’s go home. I’m cooking.” He picks up Tina’s bag and wraps his arm around her shoulder as they fall into step with each other, “I hope you two are in the mood for tacos.”

Raj steps slow down when he sees her _. Josie McCoy_. He remembers they day they met at the Brooklyn Film Festival two years ago. She had come by herself and, after literally being pushed by his sister, he had struck up a conversation with her.

She doesn’t notice him, laughing at something her chauffeur says to her. His dad calls his name, urging him to walk faster and he drags his eyes away from her. They never talked again after that day and he doubts that would change anytime soon. She probably didn’t even remember him.

❖

Alexandra checks her reflection in the mirror after finishing her makeup. Katy was right, this lipstick was totally her color.

Her phone vibrates and she picks it up, cheeks heating up as she reads the latest alert from Gossip Girl. The twitter account had been running for years. She, along with most of the people she hung out with, had no idea who was behind it. But almost everyone had it set to be notified of every tweet, some out of fear that they’d be the next talk of the town and others to keep up with the latest drama.

Xandra was of the latter and she had never regretted the day she followed Gossip Girl until now.

> **Josie is back!!!**

There was a picture of her best friend under it, looking lost among the crowd of people in Grand Central. There was no denying it. Josie McCoy has returned to New York.

She regains her composure before leaving the safety of her room, running straight into her father who was in the middle of a conversation with Marty Mantle. Reggie’s father had been hounding her own for a potential business deal for months.

“Xandra, is everything okay?”

She nods, forcing a smile, “Everything is fine. I was just on the phone with Mom.”

His eyes narrow and she skips away before he can reply. Since the divorce, her father had all but forbade of mention of her mom. She couldn’t focus on any of that; she needed to find her boyfriend.

❖

“So, Chuck, have you started thinking about college yet?”

His opens his mouth to reply, but his father beats him to the punch.

“Well, actually, I’m a Dartmouth man.”

“Yes, my father has always spoken highly of Dartmouth, but I’d like to explore my options.” He pointedly stares at his father as he continues, “Maybe UCLA or Clark Atlanta.”

“His mother wouldn’t hear of it,” his dad continues, undeterred. 

Chuck decides to swallow his pride, not wanting to argue with his father in front of everyone. “Yes, well, Dartmouth is my first choice.”

He feels someone grab his arm, glancing over to see Alexandra at his side.

“Chuck, may I borrow you?”

“Uh, sure,” he agrees. Chuck excuses himself from his father as she whisks him away.

“Charles,” Reggie calls out his name, Didi and Katy were seated on either side of him and Chuck smirks at them, “care for some fresh air?”

His friend makes a smoking gesture, Chuck glances at his girlfriend then back at him, “When I get back?”

“If he gets back,” Xandra quips before pulling him towards her room.

He laughs as she pushes him inside, the door swinging shut, “What’s going on?”

“I want to do this. _It,_ ” she clarifies as she pushes him onto her bed, climbing on after him and straddling his waist. “Now.”

“Now? Now? I thought you wanted to wait,” he expresses his confusion as she unbuttons his shirt, eager to get it off.

“Not anymore.” Alexandra kisses him, silencing anymore questions. She pulls back to look at him, a certain softness in her eyes that she only reserves for a select few. “I love you, Chuck Clayton. Always have, always will.”

“I love you too.”

He initiates the kiss this time, reaching for the zipper on her dress.

Three subsequent knocks at the door cut through their moment, followed by her father’s nagging voice, “Xandra, Josie is here. Come say hi.”

Chuck’s brows furrow, Josie’s name leaving his lips as he breaks the kiss.

“Josie’s at school. Kiss me.”

She tries to bring his attention back to her, but he’s not so easily dissuaded. Xandra fixes her dress as he leaves the bed.

“I just heard your mom say she’s here. Don’t you wanna go say hi?”

“Yeah,” Xandra pushes her hair behind her shoulders, “of course I do.”

❖

Josie rolls her eyes as her driver stops in front of Alex and Xandra’s place. She spent enough time here to know what every inch of the hotel to know what it looked like.

She heads straight for the elevator. Most of the employees recognize her, some nodding to her as she passes them. She smiles and waves in return but doesn’t stop to talk to any of them. Josie just wants to get out of here and go home as soon as she can and that means keeping her interactions with people light and brief.

She closes her eyes and exhales as the elevator doors shut. Suffice to say, she was not prepared for the upcoming reunion.

Josie presses the button for the penthouse, checking her phone for the time as the elevator begins to move. It was only 7:30 so, if she hurried, she could go and see Kevin before visiting hours were over. She really wanted to see her…brother. Yeah, Josie supposes she can call him that now.

The echoes of laughter grow louder as she reaches for the floor and she can only imagine the amount of people that are there. Daddy Cabot always had a thing for throwing parties, a chance to flaunt his wealth and such.

Josie makes it two steps off the elevator before she’s ambushed. Reggie’s arm circle her waist and she hears his laugh near her ear as he lifts her off the ground and swings her around. Josie locks her arms around her shoulders, letting herself sink into the familiarity of it.

“Reginald, put Josie down,” Melinda chides her son lightly.

Josie pats his arm as he does so, “It’s nice to see you again too, Reggie.”

She feels underdressed in her fur jacket, low cut black shirt and white jeans. God, why couldn’t her mom just tell the driver to take her home?

❖

Alexandra leaves her rooms after her boyfriend, coming face to face with her former bestie. Josie freezes in surprise and she uses the moment to take her in.

Her hair was completely red now, pulled into a bun on top of her head. Her clothes are more subdued than Alexandra is used to seeing her wear. But, she can’t deny that it’s still her. Her best friend. _Her Josie._

Alexandra approaches her as the shock wears off, pulling her into a hug, “Josie! It’s great to see you. Come, we’re about to have dinner.”

She gently pushes her towards the kitchen, but Josie sidesteps her, sliding out of her reach with a sheepish expression.

“Actually, um, there’s somewhere I have to go.”

Alexandra frowns, “You’re leaving?”

“Yeah. Um, I just don’t feel well. I-I just wanted to come by and say hi.” Josie begins to walk backwards to the elevator, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

The smile falls off Alexandra’s face as Josie turns her back, she drifts towards Katy and Didi, “School? So, I guess she’s back for good.”

“Didn’t you know she was coming?” Katy questions her, the little insolent twit.

“Of course I did,” Alexandra replies after a brief pause. “I just wanted it to be a surprise.”

And what a fucking surprise it was.

❖

Lights pours in from the open curtain, pulling Kevin from his slumber. He sits up in his bed, looking to his right at the sound of quiet snores.

Josie lays stretched out on the couch, wrapped up in a wool blanket that one of the nurses must’ve brought. He wasn’t expecting her home so soon.

“Josie?”

He repeats her name a second time but still receives no response. He leans forward and shakes her shoulders to wake her up. Josie finally stirs, covering her eyes with her arm to block out the sun.

“Kevin,” she says his name through a yawn, pushing the cover off her as she moves into a sitting position, “what time is it?”

“8:03.”

“Time for you to get ready for school,” Sierra cuts in with a look of disapproval to her daughter as she enters the room. “Do you really want to be late for your first day back?”

“I was actually thinking we could all go to breakfast together. The doctors are okay with him leaving, right?”

His father leans against the doorway, shaking his head at the suggestion. “I can grab some food down the street and we can all eat here.”

Disappointment fills Kevin as his father turns and walks away. He understands his dad’s hesitance, but he was ready to go outside. He had spent enough time here. He was better.

Josie mumbles something under her breath that he doesn’t catch as she stands to her feet and leaves the room, chasing his father. Sierra releases a quiet sigh as she follows her daughter, intervening in the argument that was brewing in the hallway. 

Kevin smiles to himself. He was happy to have her back.

❖

“Guess whose dad is cool?”

“It’s a trick question,” Tina teases.

“Yeah, cause it can’t be ours,” Raj joins in as he fixes his tie. 

“Hey. What are you working on,” their father asks as he notices the stack of envelopes in front of Tina.

Raj glances it over his shoulder as he places two waffles in the toaster.

“It’s called the Kiss on the Lips party,” she explains. “Everyone’s going?”

Raj faces his sister with arched brows, “You were invited to that?”

She makes a face, irritated at how in disbelief he sounds.

“Well, no offense if I sound surprised since _I’ve_ never been invited.”

“One of the girls in my art class saw my calligraphy and she said that if I addressed all the invitations that I could have one.”

“Sounds great,” their dad replies. “Sweatshops could stand to learn a thing or two.”

Tina rolls her eyes, “Can you save the anti-capitalist rants until after breakfast?”

“No, I cannot.”

“Besides, you make us go to private schools.”

“That’s for your education.”

Raj listens to his sister and dad go back and forth as he pours syrup over his toasted waffles.

“So, we should just be anonymous losers who eat lunch alone and never get invited to parties.”

“Works for me,” Raj mumbles.

“Mom thinks it’s a good idea,” Tina counters.

“And her judgement is always sound, huh?”

Raj stiffens, glancing at his father out of his peripheral vision. He really needed to talk to his parents about conversation boundaries.

“Tina,” he begins in a softer, more understanding tone, “you wanna go to that party, you should go. You kids could use some fun.”

❖

Chuck adjusts the scarf around his neck. He’s about to make his way to the revolving doors of the front entrance of the hotel she was staying at when he hears her call his name.

He turns and it’s like he’s seeing her again for the first time. God, he missed her. She left so quickly yesterday that they didn’t even get a chance to talk or say hi.

“Hi. Your mom told me you guys were staying here.”

“Yeah, uh, we’re renovating again. You know my mom—if ain’t broke, break it.”

He laughs at the joke, feeling some of his nerves begin to disappear.

“So, what are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to see how you were. You seemed kind of upset last night.”

The mention of last night makes her tense up and she starts walking towards the entrance, away from him.

“I-I gotta get ready for school. Don’t wanna be late.”

“Josie,” Chuck calls after her as he follows. He just wanted to talk and he knew she knew what he came here to talk about.

“No.” Josie spins back around, expression guarded. “No.”

“But you’re back now-”

“I didn’t come back for you,” she interrupts, killing the spark of hope inside him. “Look, Xandra is my best friend and your girlfriend and she loves you. That’s the way things are supposed to be.”

The reminder of his girlfriend causes him to pause. Chuck doesn’t feel like that’s how things are supposed to be, but he keeps it to himself. Josie had a point and he didn’t want to hurt Alexandra any more than he already has. When she walks away, he doesn’t try and stop her this time.

❖

Alexandra sets the box in her lap as she examines the letters. They were perfect. Tina stands two steps below her, bouncing from left to right as she waits for her to say something. She purposely remains silent for a few more seconds, watching a nervous expression begin to settle onto her features as she waits a sign of approval.

“Not bad work,” Xandra compliments her. She plucks the one with Tina’s name on it from the rest and holds it out to her. “And as promised, here’s yours.”

“Thanks.”

Xandra narrows her eyes as she spots Josie approaching, eating from a cup of yogurt. For a second, she allowed herself to forget that her nightmares were becoming reality.

“Hey,” Josie greets them all. “Here you guys are. I looked all over the dining hall for you.” She pauses, noticing the younger girl next to her. “Oh, hi, I’m Josie.”

“I know. I mean, hi, I’m Tina.”

Xandra rolls her eyes. Was no one on this earth immune to her charms?

Josie bends down and swipes an envelope, “When’s the party?”

Tina blinks and Katy exchanges an awkward look with Didi. Josie keeps her eyes on her best friend as she waits for an answer.

Xandra forces a smile. “Saturday. And you’re kinda not invited…since until 12 hours ago, everyone thought you were at boarding school. Now we’re full and Tina used up all the invites.”

“Um, actually—”

“You can go now,” Alexandra dismisses her. She turns back to Josie after Tina has walked away. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Josie drops the invite on Katy’s feet, “I have a ton of stuff to do today anyway.”

Xandra shrugs as she starts to gather her stuff, the other two girls mimicking her actions. “Well, we should get going then. Unless you want us to wait for you. You got a lot of yogurt left.”

“No, go ahead.”

The smile falls as she passes her. Xandra grits her teeth as Josie says her name, drawing her into another conversation.

“Xandra, we should do something tonight. Just the of us?”

“I’d love to, but I’m doing something with Chuck tonight.”

“The Palace. Eight o’clock? Chuck can wait.”

“I could probably do half hour,” Xandra manages to get out in a calm tone.

“Thanks for making the time.”

“You’re my best friend.”

> **Spotted on the steps of the Met: a J and A power struggle. Did J think she could waltz home and things would be just like they were? Did A think J would go down without a fight? Or can these two hotties work it out? There’s nothing Gossip Girl likes more than a good cat fight and this could be a classic.**

❖

Kevin puts the book down as Josie barges into his room.

“Why don’t you ever knock?”

She ignores his question. “I talked to the nurse and I’m kidnapping you.”

“We’re going shopping, aren’t we?”

Josie opens his drawers and throws a pair of jeans at him, “We’re going to Bendel’s. Just for an hour. I promise. I had a really bad day.”

“Really?” Kevin quickly changes into the pants she threw at him. “I had a great day. A couple of pills, bunch of Rorschach Tests. They had this green jello for lunch.”

“Oooh,” Josie coos as she hands him a shirt, “why didn’t you save me any? Hurry. We gotta get out of here before either of our parents show up.”

❖

Raj holds onto his camera bag as she jogs up the stairs. Tina had sent him a 911 text and he rushed over as soon as he could. Pictures of models line the wall, advertising the different designs.

He finds his sister near the entrance, wearing a pretty red dress and checking her reflection in a mirror. He takes a minute to catch his breath, hunched over with his hands on his knees.

“Tina, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Do you like this on me?”

“Wait,” he raises his index finger, “wait a second. Is that why you needed me? You said this was an emergency.”

“A fashion emergency. I mean, come on, I’ve never been to a big party before.”

“Neither have I.”

“Trust me, I know. But, Mom’s gone and it’s not like I can ask Dad for fashion advice.”

“Well, you look good, T. You really do.”

Something in the distance catches her attention and she moves away from the mirror. “Hi, Josie,” she waves her over.

Raj ducks behind a rack of clothing before he inevitably says something that’ll embarrass himself like the first time they met.

“Hey.” Josie smiles as she walks over then gestures to the guy next to her, “This is my—”

“Stylist,” the boy beside her jumps in. “Stylist and personal shopper. Kevin, hi.”

“Um, hi, this is my brother,” Tina gestures to him before realizing he’s no longer by her side.

“Is this your dress for the Kiss on the Lips party?”

“Sort of. Speaking of that,” she bends down and retrieves an invitation from her bag, “I made it for you during lunch. If anyone asks how you got it, I know nothing.”

Raj peeks over the top of the clothing, still hiding from them. He wondered what his sister was saying. Were they talking about him?

“Thanks. Well, I have to go find my dress. I guess I’ll see you at the party.”

“Can’t wait.”

Raj waits until her footsteps fade away before leaving his hiding spot, “Since when are you and Josie McCoy friends?”

Tina rolls her eyes, “You’re a coward.”

❖

“What are you pouting about now?” Reggie nudges Chuck with his shoulder as they walk along the concrete path. He’s had that pensive look on his face all day. “Girl problems?”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“Come on. Mantle the Magnificent is here to help. Talk to me, buddy.”

Chuck sighs, “My dad keeps riding my back about college.”

“And…” Reggie makes a hand motion for him to continue. He knows he could be a bit self-absorbed at times, but he didn’t like seeing his friend in such distress.

“I don’t know, man. Does it ever fell like our entire lives have been planned out for us?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So, you aren’t worried that we’re going to end up just like our parents?”

Reggie grimaces. That was a scary thought.

Chuck stops walking, shoving his hands into his pockets, “It’s our lives. Why don’t we get to choose? Aren’t we entitled to that?”

“What we’re entitled to is a trust fund. And a house in the Hamptons.”

“What about being happy?”

Reggie reaches out and gives his friend’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “Buy it.”

❖

Alexandra takes a small sip from her margarita glass. She can’t believe she let Josie strongarm her into coming.

“So, how is everyone? How’s Alex?”

Alexandra shrugs, “My dad is doing great. So, my mom left him for another woman. He lost fifteen pounds and got a motorcycle. Alexander is in rehab; you know he could never handle his booze.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

Josie gives her a look of pity and she hates it. Hates her for pretending like she cares. Alexandra called her every day that week and it went straight to her voicemail each time.

“How could you? You never called or text me. I would’ve even settled for a letter or a postcard.”

“I know, but boarding school was like—”

“Why did you even go to boarding school in the first place,” Alexandra cuts her off. “Do you know how it felt when I called your house after you missed school and having your mom say, ‘Josie didn’t tell you that she moved to Kentucky?’”

Guilt fills Josie’s eyes but it does nothing to assuage the anger building inside of her. It was like she was back at the moment, finding out her best friend had left town without telling her. And now she was back, still with no warning or notice.

“I just…I had to go. I needed to get away from everything. Please, believe me.”

“How am I supposed to believe you when I feel like I barely know you anymore?”

“We can fix that,” Josie replies quickly. “I saw you at school with Katy and Di and I get it. I don’t want to take any of that away.”

“Because it’s yours to take if you want, right?”

“I didn’t—that’s not what I meant. I miss you, okay? I just want things to go back to the way they were.” Alexandra looks down as Josie grabs her hand. “Us walking to school together, dancing on tables at La Bonne Nuit, summers at your mom’s beach house. Don’t you miss it too?”

Alexandra glances away for a second. She did, but that didn’t mean she was ready to forgive and forget. But…maybe this time would be different.

She smiles softly as she lifts her head, meeting her friend’s eyes, “Well…you missed some classic Alexander Cabot tantrums. If it wasn’t such a train wreck, it would’ve been funny. Actually, it kind of was.”

The two girls laugh, an insurmountable weight lifting off their shoulders.

“I wish I could’ve been there.”

“You are now.” Alexandra glances at her phone as it lights up with a text from her boyfriend. She almost forgot they had plans. “I have to meet Chuck. We kind of have something special planned for tonight,” she explains as she slides off her stool.

“Well, I don’t want to keep you, but, um…” Josie grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her into a hug. “I love you, Xan.”

“I love you too, J.”

> **Spotted at the Palace Hotel: A and J having an heart-to-heart.**

❖

“Josie McCoy? Is that you?”

She rolls her eyes as Nick approaches, that disgusting smarmy grin on his face. The chef takes one look at him and scampers away, taking the bowl of noodles with him.

Josie had come back here to get something to eat. She usually tried to refrain from drinking on a empty stomach, but her conversation with Alexandra had taken quite the toll. She takes another bite of the grilled cheese she had ordered.

She sits on the counter next to the sink and he comes to a stop in front of her.

“Leave me alone, St, Clair. I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh, come on. Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?”

“We were never friends.”

“We can change that and there truly is no time like the present.”

He touches her knee and she quickly pushes his hand away. It was true money couldn’t make up for class and Nick St. Clair was living proof of that.

The first time she had meant was during her mom’s campaign and the night ended with her fist colliding with his nose. His face was so punchable.

“Read my glossed lips: not gonna happen.”

He chuckles, “Why? Scared Chuck will find out?”

Josie frowns, an inkling of dread washing over her, “What?”

“At the Spellman wedding. I know the real reason why you left town.”

She sets the sandwich down, suddenly feeling sick.

“Best friend and the boyfriend. Real classy, McCoy. Unless you want Alexandra to find out, I think you ought to rethink that ‘not gonna happen’ thing.”

Josie swallows deeply before facing him. She smiles, placing her hands on his shoulders as she hops off the counters. She reins her arm back and aims right for his eye. She wants to leave a bruise.

Nick backs away, doubled over as he clutches the side of his face in pain. “You’re going to regret that.”

“Burn in hell.”

She grabs her phone and purse then flees the kitchen, crashing right into someone. Her things fall out of her hands and she crouches down to pick it up.

“Are you okay?”

She ignores him, tears burning at the corner of her eyes as she gathers her stuff. She just wanted the day to be over.

❖

Chuck breaks the kiss, gently pushing her back by her shoulders. “Stop. Stop.”

Alexandra climbs off his lap with a confused look, folding her legs under her, “What’s wrong? Was it something I did?”

“No, it was something I did.” Chuck buttons his shirt as he sits up. He couldn’t go through with this, not until he was honest with her. His guilt was eating him alive. “There’s something that I have to tell you.”

“Okay.”

He hesitates, words catching in his throat. A part of him doesn’t want to hurt her, but he knows he can’t keep this from her forever. It wouldn’t be fair.

“Something happened with me and Josie at Nick and Sabrina’s wedding. We kissed…”

“But…that was it. You only kissed, right?”

He shakes his head, forcing him not to look away. Alexandra turns her eyes to the ceiling, blinking back tears.

“I’m sorry. We never—”

“Get out.”

“Xan—”

“Get out!” She pushes him off her bed, tears streaming down her face.

Chuck gives up, trying to explain himself. He knew nothing he said would make her feel better.

❖

“How do you know it’s her phone if you didn’t check?”

“What?”

“And if you’re not a guest at the hotel, what were you doing here?”

Raj just wanted to return a phone and now he was being interrogated by concierge.

“When Prince Charming found Cinderella’s glass slipper, they didn’t excuse him of having a foot fetish.”

The man chuckles, “You’re Prince Charming?”

Raj frowns at his amused tone. He could be Prince Charming.

“There she is now. Josie.” The man waves his hand, beckoning her over.

Raj bows his head, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Why didn’t he just leave the phone here last night?

“Hi, François.”

“Afternoon. Do you know this young man?”

Raj turns his head to look at her and her eyes light up in recognition.

“Rob, right? From the film festival?”

“R-Raj. You remember me?”

“Yeah.” She nods then turns to François, “What’s going on?”

“He claims to have your phone.”

“I've been looking for it all morning. Where did you find it?”

“I, uh, bumped into you last night. You dropped it on the floor.”

“Right. Sorry about that.”

“Josie, I got you the cutest dress for Kiss on the Lips.”

An older woman who he guesses is her mom pulls into a conversation. Raj glances at François, wondering if he should just leave or not. He did what he came here to do.

“My friend.” Josie steps closer to him, grabbing onto his arm, “Ron and I have a date tonight.”

“Raj,” he whispers, correcting her.

“Raj and I have a date tonight.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mayor McCoy. I’m Raj Patel.”

She gives him a quick onceover then turns back to her daughter, “Where will this date be exactly?”

Josie looks to him for an answer and he scrambles his brain for something to say.

“A concert.”

“A concert,” Josie repeats.

“A couple of my friends are in a band. The Serpents.”

“Well, this party would’ve been the perfect opportunity to announce your return, but I guess I’ll try and return the dress tomorrow.”

Josie faces him again as her mom walks away, “Thanks for that. And for returning my phone.”

“Oh, no problem.” Raj hesitates before turning to leave. He makes it to the stairs when she calls out to him. He spins back around to face her, “Huh?”

“What time are you going to pick me up?”

“I…are you sure you want to go out with a guy whose name you can’t remember?”

“Well, you can’t be the worse than the guys whose names I do remember. Is eight good for you?”

“Yeah. Eight is, um, it’s good.”

“Great. I’ll see you then.”

“Yes, you will,” he mumbles under his breath as she walks away.

He couldn’t wait to tell Tina about this.

❖

Reggie leans against the bar, elbow perched on the counter. This party was a total snoozefest. Usually, he’d have Chuck to hang out with, but his best bro was MIA.

Alexandra approaches the bar, tapping the glass repeatedly to get the bartender’s attention. Reggie moves closer to as the gin and tonic she requested is placed in front of her.

He hasn’t been watching her all night, but he’s noticed that she’s a little bit more than usual to drink tonight. Despite them all growing up together, he and Xandra were the least close of their quartet.

“Trouble in paradise?”

She bites out a laugh, eyes glossed over with unshed tears, “You have no idea.”

“Try me.”

She glances at him, eyes flickering down to his mouth then back up. He pretends not to notice.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay. I know I’m not Josie or Chuck—”

“Don’t say their names,” she interrupts him.

Reggie opens his mouth then shuts it, unsure of what to say. They’ve all had their spats over the years, but this time felt…differently. He’s never seen Alexandra look so distraught before.

❖

“Are you sure I’m not overdressed?”

Raj told her on the way over that it was more like a small get together than an actual concert, so she went with a grey sweater and mini skirt instead of the shimmery gold dress she already had picked out.

“No, you look perfect.”

Josie nods, trying her best to relax. It wasn’t like she was walking into her execution. Raj begins to jog, stopping in front of a door and holding it open for her.

“Milady.”

“And they say chivalry is dead.”

He places his hand on the small of her back as he follows her inside. The store was completely empty, but she could hear echoes of music.

“Everyone must be downstairs already. Come on.”

He takes her hand and leads her to a staircase behind the door towards the other side of the room. Her phone buzzes in her hand and she flips it around, seeing a notification that she got a text from Chuck.

She thinks about ignoring it, but her intuition tells her she should read it. Josie does, coming to a complete stop.

Raj jerks back and she remembers they were still holding hands.

“Josie, is something wrong?”

“I’m sorry. I-I-I have to go.”

She can see the confusion on his face, but she can’t tell him. No one was supposed to know.

Josie rips her hand out of his grasp and races back up the stairs, heart thundering in her chest.

Chuck came clean. Alexandra knew.

And she had just lost her best friend for good.


	2. wild brunch

“Good morning, Jo- _oh._ Dear, is everything okay?”

Josie isn’t surprised by his reaction. Her scarf was loosely tied around her hair, her eyes bloodshot from staying up the entire night and the bags under her eyes could probably fit an entire truck load.

“No, François,” she deadpans, “everything is not okay. Where are the cupcakes?”

He turns around, swiping the pink box of desserts from the table behind him. Josie knew it was going to take more than cupcakes to fix everything between herself and Alexandra, but she decided to start by taking a page from Veronica’s book.

“My friends tell me I’m an excellent listener.”

Josie sighs, keeping what happened with Chuck a secret is how she got into this mess in the first place.

“I hurt someone that I love, and I don’t think they’ll ever forgive me.”

“Does this have anything to do with Alexandra?”

She nods, “I called her a dozen times, but—”

“You and Xandra have been friends for years. Whatever it is, you two will get over it,” François tries to reassure her. She appreciates it, but she knows it won’t be that easy.

“I don’t think we will. Not this time. Listen, if my mom asks…”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

Josie nods, fixing a smile on her face as she picks up the box of goodies, “Well, I have to go get dressed before I deliver these. I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

She was going to need it.

❖

“Reginald. Come here.”

Reggie blanches, trying to think of something his dad might’ve caught him doing. He did his best to avoid Marty’s wrath, but sometimes he slipped up and other times, it was just unavoidable. And it was somehow always his fault.

His dad sits at the kitchen table, coffee mug leaving a ring on their mahogany table. His mom wasn’t going to be happy about that, she constantly reminded his dad to use coasters; her words always fell on death ears.

“Yes, Dad?”

He watches as his father folds the paper then sets it to the side. Reggie tenses as he stands up, mentally preparing himself for the yelling. It always went this way.

“I need your help.”

Okay, not what he was expecting. “Me?”

“Yes, _you_. Alexander Cabot is considering going public with the company which means a potential investment for us. He’s a stubborn man. This is where you come in.”

“Okay.”

“Alexandra Cabot is our ticket in. If you get close to her, maybe she’ll sway her dad in our favor.”

Reggie features contort in disgust, “She’s my friend. Chuck is my best friend.”

“Listen, son,” Marty places a firm hand on his left shoulder, “I know you want to take over the family business one day so consider this you’re first lesson. These people are not your friends, they’re a mean to an end.”

“Marty, what have I told you about using a coaster?”  
  


His dad let’s go of him as he takes a step back. Reggie glances at his mom, wondering if she heard any of that, but her focus is on her precious furniture.

He should’ve just crashed with Moose.

❖

“So, how’d did it go?”

Raj glances at his sister then back at his sister then back at his cracked laptop screen. Toni had asked him to record their performance and was trying to edit it, spruce it up some.

“How’d what go?”

He knew what Tina was asking, but he didn’t want to talk about it.

“How’d what go?” She mocks him. “Don’t play dumb with me. Your date with Josie.”

“Nothing happened.”

He picks up his laptop and carries it to his room, slamming his door shut and locking it before Tina can follow him inside.

The garage door that separates half of their room is lifted up, revealing his very persistent sister. “You went on the school with one of the _most_ popular girls in our school and you expect me to believe that nothing happened?”

“Yup.”

“Ugh. Fine, I’ll just ask her when I see her at school.”

Raj shakes his head. The only thing worse than getting ditched was having to hear about it from his sister.

“She left, okay? She got a text and then she went home before the band even started playing. Satisfied?”

“Well, maybe, she just had something to do.”

“Or maybe she realized that she doesn’t want to date a loser from Brooklyn.”

“Raj, you’re not a loser. Have you tried talking to her?”

Raj stands up and walks to his dresser. “No and I’m not going to.” He grabs the handle and pulls the door back down.

❖

“Gloria, where are my Versace heels?”

The woman races over, dropping the shoes right in front of her, “Here they are, Miss Alexandra.”

She releases a sigh of relief, placing them at the foot of her bed. Her outfit wouldn’t be complete without them. The heels went perfectly with knee length cream white lace dress. It had an unlined upper bodice and ruffled cuffs.

It was the day of her father’s annual brunch and she had to be the best dressed. Everyone who was someone was going to be there.

Alexandra turns to face Gloria as she continues to stand there, “Is there something you want to tell me?”  
  


“Yes. You, uh, have company.”

Alexandra gives her a confused look before going to see who. Her pink silk robe flowing as she approaches the staircase.

Josie stands at the bottom of it, smiling awkwardly at whatever her father was saying to her. He always adored Josie. Both of her parents did. Everyone did.

She held a box of cupcakes in her hand and Alexandra resists the urge to roll her eyes. She had some nerve.

“Josie, what a surprise. I didn’t know you were coming over.”

“Uh, well, I was in the neighborhood.”

“Lovely. Dad, could you give us a moment?”

He glances between the two of them before nodding, “I have to clear some things up with the caterers. I hope to see you and your mother at brunch.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Her dad nods, throwing her one quick concerned look before walking away. Alexandra steps off the last step, brushing past Josie as she heads into the living room.

“I know there’s nothing I can say that can make up for what I did.”

She pauses for a second. The only way Josie would know that she knew about the illicit tryst was if Chuck told her. So much for not speaking to her again.

“You mean sleeping with my boyfriend?” Alexandra stretches across the loveseat, cocking her eyebrow as she looks at Josie, “You’re right, there isn’t.”

“If you’d just let me explain—”

“You have had every chance to explain. Instead, you chose to repeatedly lie to my face.”

“It’s not like that. I just didn’t want to hurt you, okay?”

“Then, why did you do it? You could have any guy you wanted. Why did it have to be mine?”

“Can you just tell me how I can fix this?”

Alexandra didn’t want this to be fixed. “You can start by staying away from me, my boyfriend, and my friends. You know the way out.”

Josie nods in defeat and that hurts more than the cheating and the lying. She’s not even going to try and fight for their friendship. It apparently meant less to her than Alexandra originally thought.

❖

Chuck was an idiot. If Alexandra got whiff that he was here, that’d be end of them forever. But he’s never been good at thinking critically when it came to Josie.

“François, hi. Is Josie here?”

“No, but you’re welcome to wait the others.”

_Others?_

François points towards the bench against the wall and Chuck looks to see a guy from his school sitting there.

He hesitates before joining him, nodding in greeting, “Raj, right?”

“That is what it says on my birth certificate.”

Chuck nods, wiping his hands on his pants, “You and Josie, huh? Is that a thing?”

The boy shrugs, “It’s complicated.”

“Yeah, it always is with Josie.”

Raj frowns and Chuck curses his slip of the tongue. Why would he say that?

“Hey. Aren’t you dating her best friend?”

“I am. That’s why I’m here.”

“Right.”

Chuck pulls out his phone and checks the time. The brunch was in an hour and he still needed to get ready. There was no telling when Josie would be back.

He glances at Raj out of his peripheral. Maybe he could wait a few more minutes.

❖

Josie returns to The Palace to find Raj in the courtyard. She watches him walk in circles, completely oblivious to her. She doubted that he’d want to see her last night after she bailed on him, but she was wrong.

And she was glad about it, Josie could use a distraction from the soap opera that had become her life.

“Are you having fun?”

He loses his balance, nearly falling on his ass as he spins around towards her. “I, um, was actually.”

“Well, don’t stop on my account.”

He laughs, rocking back and forth on his feet as they stare at each other.

“About last night,” Josie begins, “I’m sorry I left like that. Something came up and I just needed to be alone and collect my thoughts.”

“You don’t owe me an explanation.”

“I know. I just don’t want you to think that I didn’t want to go on a date with you because I do.”

“You do?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, if you’re hungry, we can grab something to eat.”

“I’m starving.”

“That’s amazing,” her mom cuts in, “because we have a brunch to go to.”

Josie exchanges a look with Raj before facing her mom. She’s been trying to get out of going all day, but her mother was relentless. And it was even more difficult being that Josie couldn’t give her a good explanation as to _why_ she didn’t want to go.

“I told you that I don’t want to.”

“Josie, if you keep skipping out on parties, people are going to think you have something to hide.”

“It’s not that simple. Alexandra…I just don’t think I should be there.”

Her mother purses her lips, “What do I have to do to convince you to go?”

Bargaining meant that she wasn’t getting out of this so easily. Josie glances to her right where Raj stands. It’d be nice to have one person there who didn’t hate her guts.

“He comes too.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, honey. He’s not even on the list.”

“He’ll be our plus one. You asked how to convince me, and I told you. I can always not go and stay here with Raj instead.”

“Fine,” her mother concedes. “Now go and get dressed. We don’t want to be too late.”

“Can’t wait,” Josie replies with as much excitement as she can muster. She only hoped that everyone would be too busy eating for any drama.

Who was she kidding? There was always going to be drama.

❖

Reggie spots Josie at the door, looking entirely uncomfortable. The guy standing next to her has the same expression on his face.

He hadn’t seen too much of her lately. He excuses himself from the table then approaches her, grinning buoyantly. His father’s request was hanging heavy on him and Josie was always someone he could talk to when he needed to.

“Josephine! I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.”

He pulls her into a hug, arm circling her lower back.

“It’s good to see you too, Reggie. This is Raj Patel,” she introduces them as they part.

“Nice to meet you, man.” He reaches out and shakes his hand firmly, earning a chuckle from Josie. He quickly turns his attention back to her, “You look hot and I need to talk to you.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Is it ever? But, you know I can’t handle my emotions on an empty stomach. Why don’t you come sit with us?”

He gestures to the table where his parents, Chuck, and Alexandra are.

“I think I’m going to sit with my mom.”

“No way. Come on. Raj can come too.” He grabs her hand and starts to pull her to the table, but she doesn’t budge. He wasn’t sure what was going on with her, Xandra, and Chuck but they were never going to get past it if they kept avoiding each other.

Reggie turns back to see her giving him a pleading look.

“Reggie…I need to sit with my mom.”

He hesitates before nodding, letting go of her hand as he takes a step back, “Okay.”

❖

Raj heads off in the direction of the restrooms and Alexandra’s dad takes her to go greet their guest and Chuck takes that as his opening. He didn’t want to be rude and talk to Josie in front of her face. He grabs a plate and jumps in front of the person behind her in the buffet line.

“I didn’t think you’d come.”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“You’re mad, I get that.”

“Oh, do you?” Josie comes to a stop as she turns to him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to tell her?”

“I wasn’t going to until it happened. I was trying to do the right thing.”

“Because now you care about doing the right thing,” Josie guffaws. “You’ve had months to come clean. Why now?”

There are a multitude of reasons he chose to tell Xandra. Because Josie was back, because his relationship was feeling more and more like obligation, because sometimes he just felt like he was drowning under all this responsibility and wanted an escape.

“She was going to find out eventually.”

Josie nods in resignation, “You’re right. If it wasn’t us, it was going to be Nick or someone else.”

“Nick knows?”

“Yup. Apparently, we had an audience that night. He tried to blackmail me into sleeping with him.”

“That explains the black eye. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

“Yeah, well, right now we need to worry about getting back on Alexandra’s good side.”

She takes her plate and walks away, her way of ending the conversation.

❖

Alexandra takes a step towards Chuck and Josie, but her dad pulls her back.

“Behave yourself, Xandra,” he whispers sternly.

She bites the inside of her cheek, ignoring the knot forming in her stomach as she faces him. “I’ve spent the last hour listening to Marty Mantle and countless others make small talk and thinly veiled business offers. You should be relieved I’m not screaming at the top of lungs. Let me go.”

He releases his hold on her and she fixes her sleeve, faking a smile as Mrs. Valentine walks by. They couldn’t have anyone talking.

“Why do you think I do all of this?” He doesn’t wait for to her to answer. “I do this for you. Your brother is unreliable so the family business will fall on your shoulders. I’m preparing you for your future.”

Alexandra barely resists the urge to laugh. What a load of bullshit.

“Really? I thought this was an excuse for an open bar and rehiring the Milanese statues.” She drinks the rest of the mimosa in her glass, wishing she had another.

“Careful. I’d hate to send both of my children to rehab.”

She stiffens, digging her nails into the palm of her hand as her father is beckoned over by another business associate. She needed some fresh air.

❖

Raj taps Josie’s shoulder to get her attention, interrupting her conversation with Melody and Valerie.

“My dad wants me to come home. I have to go.”

His dad told him he could stay if he wanted to, but he just felt out of place. Josie tried her best to include him, but she already knew everyone here. It wasn’t as easy for him to mingle and socialize, especially with people looking at like he was crashing their party.

“Okay. I’ll walk you out.”

He nods, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet as she does the same. He takes her hand as they walk to the door, threading their fingers together.

All in all, it wasn’t the worst first date. At the very least, he could rub it in Tina’s face later.

She stops on the last step and turns to him, “I’m sorry for dragging you here. I know it’s not your scene.”

“Are you kidding me? My dad always throws extravagant brunches.”

She laughs, ducking her head to hide her smile. Raj really wants to kiss her, but he’s not sure if they’re there yet.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Josie’s best friend, Alexandra, saunters to Josie’s side with a bright smile, hooking their arms together.

“Xandra…”

“Don’t be shy. Introduce me to your friend.”

“Raj, this is Alexandra.”

“Her best friend. Well, I was before I found out she slept with my boyfriend. Josie can probably tell the story better than I can.”

“Looks like the cat is out of the bag,” a guy he’s never seen before remarks as he comes to stand next to him.

“Stay out of this, Nick.”

Raj isn’t sure what’s going on or if he even wants to know. “Josie?”

“I can explain.”

Chuck and Reggie come sprinting over and he glances between the five faces, wondering what he just walked into.

“There’s nothing to explain. You slept with your best friend’s boyfriend. I kind of admire you for it.”

Reggie’s eyebrows raise in surprise, “When did that happen?”

“You and Chuck? Is that why he was waiting for you this morning?”

Alexandra gives Chuck a scathing look, “You were what?”

“I left before she even knew I was there. Nothing happened,” Chuck replies defensively.

“This time,” Nick quips.

Raj glances at Josie who purposely avoids making eye contact with anyone.

“Watch it, St. Clair,” Chuck warns him. “You don’t want to make that two black eyes.”

“Ugh, of course you’re defending her,” Xandra spits out.

Raj gets this sort of epiphany that this was the way it always going to be. Him on the outside looking in, desperately grasping at answers. He might as well not waste his time.

“I think I’m going to go.” Raj shakes his head as he walks away. He had nothing to do with what was going on and it’s not like any of them would care that he was gone.

Josie glares at Alexandra, “I hope you’re happy.”

“Not even close.”

> **Some might call it a clusterfuck…but on the Upper East Side, we call it Sunday afternoon.**

❖

Reggie stands in the doorway of her bedroom, taking her in. She was curled under her duvet, a box of chocolate in front of her. He could hear Dreamgirls playing on the tv—it was her comfort movie.

He has a copy of the movie at his house. Josie would come over when she got into a fight with Myles and he’d put it on for her. At least some things hadn’t changed.

He clears his throat, making his presence known. Josie looks over her shoulder, sitting up when she sees its him.

“Reg, hi. What-what are you doing here?”

“You left pretty fast. I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

She neither confirms nor denies; Josie pats the spot next to her and he takes the invitation.

Reggie toes off his shoes then joins her on the bed, stretching his legs out as he makes himself comfortable. “You could’ve told me,” he tells her, deciding to just jump straight to the point.

“No, I couldn’t have.”

“We don’t judge, remember?”

“This isn’t like that time you decided that you wanted to join the Glee club. I messed up, okay?”

“We’ve all messed up before, Josie. The skeletons in my closet aren’t squeaky clean either and none of you ever made me feel bad for it.” He leans closer to her and enunciates the next words slowly, “We never judge.”

Josie offers him a small smile, “You’re a good guy, Reg.”

“So, are you going to share those or not?” He glances pointedly at her candy.

Josie shakes her head then hands him the entire box, “Have at it.”

“You’re the best, J.”


	3. poison ivy

“Rough morning?”

Raj ignores his father’s teasing as he pours himself a cup of coffee. His attempt with shaving didn’t go that well, proven by the small pieces of tissue stuck to his face. It was embarrassing.

“Am I talking to myself?”

“It’s Ivy Week,” Tina informs her dad as she pulls her hair into a ponytail. “They’re having interviews for who gets to hang out with college representatives for the mixer today.”

“Oh, Raj, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Raj bites back a sarcastic reply. As of late, his dad only paid attention to them to get one over on their mom.

“It’s not that bad,” his father tries to reassure him.

“They’re going to think I shaved with a woodchipper.”

“I was leaning more towards chainsaw,” Tina quips.

“Not helping.”

“Not trying to.”

Raj raises his cup to his lips, feeling his skin warm up as he swallows the coffee. He had his coffee so the morning wasn’t entirely ruined.

“Look on the bright side, you’re not a hemophiliac. Otherwise, I’d be driving you to the hospital right now.”

“Not helping,” Tina singsongs.

Raj isn’t sure how much he can put up with this, but he doesn’t want to stick around to find out. His nerves were already fried enough. He needed to get in with Dartmouth.

“I’m going to go practice my lines in the mirror. Do me a favor and try not to help _anyone_ ever again.”

❖

Chuck comes to a slow stop as he rounds the corner, turning to look at his dad who was a step behind him.

“Try not to cut me off next time. You almost knocked me over.”

Chuck laughs, “I didn’t cut you off.”

His father gives him a scolding look and the laughter dies in his throat. So much for a casual morning jog.

“Alright, I didn’t mean to.”

“If you won fair and square, nothing would make me prouder.”

He wonders how many times they’re going to have this conversation. It varied every time, but it always came down to one thing.

“I told you I want to keep my options open.”

“It’s time to get serious, Chuck. Your grades are okay, but you’re going to need more if you want to get in. I know the representative that’s visiting, but it’s up to you to get picked as escort. You can’t do that if you don’t take this more seriously.”

“I’m not the one who’s not taking this seriously,” Chuck mumbles under his breath, eyes on the ground.

“What was that?”

He looks up, resting his hands on his waist, “How come every time I bring up what I want you act like it’s just a joke.”

“Chuck, we have to stick to the plan.”

“What about my plan? What about me?”

“Your mom and I don’t pay thousand of dollars to put you in the best schools for you to just squander away your opportunities, okay?”

Chuck isn’t even sure why he tries. His parents were never going to see things his way.

❖

“Will you two shut up,” Alexandra hisses at Katy and Didi. God, she should’ve sat with someone else today.

Her phone vibrates against her leg, but she keeps her eyes on where Dean Weatherbee stood at the front. Chuck had been calling and texting her non-stop since the brunch. While he was ready to talk, she was still trying to figure whether they could talk this out or not and her schedule was completely occupied with Ivy Week events.

“As is our long standing tradition, the Constance Billard girls will be in charge of Friday night’s mixer and the St. Jude’s boys will provide the ushers for the visiting representatives.”

Weatherbee exchanges a look with Headmistress Wardwell as the two switch places.

She clears her throat before speaking, “For those of you dreaming of attending an Ivy League school, this mixer is the most important event of your life.”

“But no pressure,” Weatherbee adds after a second as if that’s going to make them feel any more anxious. Their futures were on the line.

“At tomorrow night’s mixer,” Wardwell continues, “Alexandra Cabot will announce the charity her community outreach committee will honor this year.”

Alexandra smiles proudly, but her excitement doesn’t last long—just like her minion’s silence.

“Have you seen Josie?” Didi whispers to Katy.

“No. I wonder where she is.”

“Know what I wonder?” Alexandra interrupts them. “How _I’m_ supposed to hear anything about Yale with all this talk about Josie.”

❖

“Josie, you’re going to be late.”

“I know. I know.”

Josie bounces around her room, trying to pull her boot up her leg and keep her bagel from falling out of her mouth.

“This is why I told you not to stay the night with Kevin again. Why do you even sleep there? You have a perfectly fine bed here.”

“Kevin is holed up by himself in that place every day. He needs someone to socialize with.”

Josie finally gets her boot all the way on, grabbing the bagel and tearing off the half of it that wasn’t in her mouth.

“And you need rest. You know how important this week is, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do,” Josie replies as she stuffs the rest of the cream cheese covered bread into her mouth. “My sole ambition for this week is to impress the Brown rep.”

Josie leans down in front of her mirror, using her sleeve to wipe the crumbs off her mouth then reaches for her lipstick.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that you’re not completely distracted. It’s been hard to tell where your mind is since you got back home.”

“College has never not been on my mind,” Josie replies. “I just have a lot going on.”

“So, how did things go with Raj? I haven’t seen him in the lobby lately.”

Josie rolls her eyes as she goes to her closet and searches the space for her purse, “Raj isn’t going to be coming around anymore.”

She was happy to have one guy who didn’t know about her reputation and wouldn’t judge her because of it but Xandra had thrown a wrench in that.

“What’s going on with Alexandra?”

“Mom, please!” Josie spins around to face her, frustration getting the best of her. “I just want to go to school in peace then graduate and get out of here. Now, can you help me find my bag?

“It’s on your bed,” her mom points her finger in that direction.

“Thank you.”

Josie grabs it then rushes out of her bedroom. She probably wouldn’t make it in time for the assembly anyway.

“Get a cab, don’t walk,” her mom shouts after her.

❖

“Woah!” Reggie reaches out to settle Josie as she crashes into him. “Slow down, Cinderella.”

“I missed it, didn’t I?”

He nods, “You just missed it.”

“Not that it matters,” Alexandra cuts in. “Brown doesn’t offer degrees in slut.”

“Look, I made a mistake with Chuck and you ruined my chances with Raj. We’re even now.”

“We’re even when I say we’re even”

Reggie rubs at the back of his neck, feeling awkward as they two stare each other down. At least Chuck wasn’t here for this, it’d probably be ten times worse.

Alexandra walks away with Katy and Didi and he turns back to Josie, “You know she didn’t mean that.”

“She did and I’m done with sitting on the sidelines. If this is how Xandra wants it to, then so be it. Good luck with your interview.”

Josie squeezes his shoulder before walking away and he watches her go, sighing to himself. This was going to be a long week.

> **Hey, Upper East Siders. We hear that World War Three just broke out and it’s wearing knee high boots. Choose your side or run and hide. We have a feeling this one’s to the death.**

❖

Raj shouldn’t be surprised he didn’t get Dartmouth. How could he compete with people whose parents practically bought the school?

“Hey,” Chuck greets him as he comes to stand beside him.

“Hey.”

“Did you get the one you wanted?”

Raj takes a step back, looking away from the list and to the other guy, “You did actually.”

“Oh. No hard feelings.”

“Why should there be? You earned this spot, right?”

His words come out are more accusatory than he meant, but he’s too irritated to backtrack and apologize.

Chuck gives him a look of disbelief, brows furrowed, “You got something you want to say to me?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m sure J.L. Hall is gonna be very impressed with your passion for the Dartmouth experience?”

“Who the hell is J.L. Hall?”

“He’s the Ivy Rep! I suggest reading one of his books if you want anything to talk about.” He starts to walk away but stops. “The name of his book is ‘The Petting Zoo.’ Congratulations.”

❖

Chuck brushes the encounter off, wandering outside and stopping when he sees Josie standing in front of the cement staircase.

“We are allowed to talk, you know?”

He smiles easily at her teasing voice. He misses when they were just able to hang out without any of the guilt or awkwardness hanging over them.

“Where are you off to now?”

He bounds down the stairs and Josie turns so they’re facing each other as he jumps off the last step. She hesitates to answer, a conflicting expressing coming over her features. He can tell she’s debating whether to tell him the truth or not and he waits patiently for her response.

“I’m going to go see Kevin.”

“I thought he was in Riverdale with his mom.”

“Yeah, that’s the story his dad went with and it’s what you’re going to tell anyone if they ask. I’m not even supposed to be telling you.”

“I get it. I can keep a secret.”

“You can?”

“That was different.”

“Whatever. Just come on.”

He follows her to the curb, watching as she waves a taxi down. She climbs in and starts giving the driver instructions and he climbs in after, shutting the door after himself. If he paid more attention, he would’ve noticed Alexandra watching them.

❖

Raj flops face first onto his bed and buries his face into his pillows, the sound of the slamming shut reverberates through the room. A full minute hasn’t even passed before his door is being opened and he knows it’s dad judging by the footsteps.

“Sorry about the melodramatic entrance,” he apologizes, words muffled.

“You didn’t get in?”

Raj sighs, lifting his head and resting it on his hand as he props his arm up, “No. I didn’t get it. They gave it to Chuck Clayton.

“So, you don’t get to be an usher at some snooty event. There will be other opportunities.”

Raj knows his father is just trying to help, but the only that could make him feel better is if the school changed their decision and let him be the Dartmouth escort.

“Can I just be alone for awhile?”

His dad obliges, closing quietly the door as he exits his bedroom.

Tina gives him a slightly disappointed but resigned expression, “We’re Patels, not exactly royalty uptown.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

She shakes her head, “No, but I’m used to it.”

❖

“Don’t just stand there,” Xandra snaps at them. “Did you find something or not?”

Katy and Didi exchanges silent glances before the latter speaks up, “We followed them like you asked us to. You’re not going to believe where we found her.”

It was more of a command than a request, but she’ll let that slide.

“Skip to the point or I’ll start sending out applications for replacements.”

Katy digs into her purse for her phone and goes to her gallery before handing it to Alexandra, “Here.”

Alexandra’s eyes widen as she zooms in on the picture, “Ostroff Treatment Center? What would Josie even be doing there?”

“What’s anyone doing there,” Didi retorts. “It’s a facility for the disturbed and addicted.”

“What are you going to do with it?” Katy inquires.

Alexandra takes a minute to think it over. Leaking this to Gossip Girl would be too easy. Plus, she wanted Josie to know this was all her.

“That’s nothing for you two to worry about. I’ll take it from here.”

❖

Josie blanches as she looks inside the room. She totally forgot they were having a meeting today. Kevin’s dad, her mom and Kevin were already seated across from Kevin’s counselor, Mrs. Burble. There was a fourth empty seat which she guesses was meant for her.

“Josephine,” her mom calls out to her as she notices her standing there, “come in. We all have to present for this.”

Josie makes a gesture for Chuck to follow as she walks inside the room and her mother’s eyes narrow immediately.

“You brought him here?!”  
  


“The only faces Kevin sees daily is mine, yours, and his dad’s. I only invited Chuck because I thought it’d be for Kevin to see more people. And he promised not to tell,” she explains in a rush.

“For the record, she hasn’t really told me anything,” Chucks adds.

“He’s here now. He might as well stay.”

“Fine,” her mom relents. “We’ll talk about this later.”

Josie nods, moving to sit down in the chair as Chuck settles on the couch. She mouths a quick ‘sorry’, but he waves her off.

“I’m sure you all know why we’re here,” Mrs. Burble begins. “Kevin’s recovery is of the utmost importance.”

“I’ve been in these sessions everyday for the last week, but nothing is gonna change unless _they_ ,” she glances at both their parents pointedly, “stops hiding him here and lets him have his life back.”

“We’re not hiding him, Josie,” Kevin’s dad replies.

“Then why are you lying to everyone and telling them he’s in Riverdale?”

“He’s not ready.”

“He’s not or you’re not?”

“Okay, let’s take a deep breath,” Mrs. Burble interrupts. “It’s good to see honest conversations.”

Josie scoffs, “What do they know about honesty?”

“Josephine-”

“But I think a decision like this includes Eric as well,” the counselor continues.

“You mean I have a say in this? Wow, thanks,” Kevin remarks sarcastically.

“Kev,” Tom takes a long pause, “of course, you do. We’re here for you.”

Josie reaches over and places her hand on his arm, “If you’re ready to leave, tell us, okay? No matter what your dad says.”

He nods, turning away from her as he looks at Mrs. Burble, “I would really like to get out of here.” His dad sighs and Kevin deflates a bit, “But maybe I’m not ready yet.”

“What about a few hours,” Josie compromises. “You can be my date to the Ivy Week party tonight.”

“Josie, that party is an important event for you.”

“I know, Mom. He’ll be around people he knows…like Chuck. It’ll be fun, comfortable.”

“That sounds great,” Kevin agrees.

Tom storms out and, after a beat, her mother follows. Josie gives Kevin’s arm a comforting squeeze, “Ignore them. It’s going to be great.”

❖

“Kevin, I didn’t know you were in town.”

Reggie ruffles his hair and Kevin shoves his hand away, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Their mothers stood a few feet away, greeting each other politely.

“It’s good to see you too, Reggie. I’m going to get something to drink.”

He watches him walk away before facing Josie, “How long has he been back?”

“Uh, not long. I figured since he’s here, he could come with me. I forgot how well you clean up,” Josie swiftly changes the subject, toying with the end of his day.

Reggie smiles unabashedly. He was wearing a red velvet jacket with slim plaid pants and a black shirt. It’d probably looks horrible on anyone else, but he made it work. He didn’t really want to come but his dad didn’t give him much of a choice.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.”

Her outfit was simple. A white long sleeved shirt with a leopard print skirt that went past her knees.

“Tell me something I don’t know. Hey, have you seen the Yale rep?”

He knows what she’s doing, and he doesn’t want to be a part of it.

“Can’t you two just give it a rest?”

“Sorry, Reg. All is fair in love and war.”

❖

Alexandra spots the Yale rep near one of the tables and briskly makes her move. Her father would never forgive her if she didn’t introduce herself.

“Hi, I’m Alexandra Cabot. I think you know my dad; he says you two used to do CRU together.”

He starts to reply but doesn’t get a chance because Josie interrupts them.

“CRU? Oh, hi,” she pretends to just notice the man standing there, reaching out to shake his hand, “I’m Josie McCoy. Xandra, I didn’t know that you were interested in joining CRU.”

“I’m not! I was just saying that there’s a family connection because of my father-”

“Because I didn’t know you were interested in athletics at all,” Josie interrupts her again. “Especially ones where you might get your hair wet.” She puts on a charming smile and Alexandra grits her teeth as Josie wraps her arms around her like they were still friends. “She’s really more of an indoors type of girl.”

“My friend is mistaken. I got more into sports while she was away at boarding school.”

“Your glass is nearly empty. Let’s get you a drink.”

Alexandra pushes Josie back as she steps towards the older man to whisk him away, “That’s okay. I’ll take him.”

Josie gives her arm a quick squeeze, “Oh, don’t worry about it.”

‘So, tell me about Yale,’ Xandra hears Josie say as she walks away with her rep.

She starts to follow but stops when she notices who just arrived. Alexandra makes her way to him, wearing a polite smile, “Dr. Ostroff, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Alexandra Cabot.”

❖

“I like your book.”

“Oh, thanks. What did you think of the epilogue?”

Chuck flails, not expecting the man to actually want to talk about the book. If it wasn’t for his dad watching him like a hawk, he would’ve ditched already.

“Some people really love it,” he continues, “but New York Times called it a cheap cop out. Warner Brothers is making the movie. I think they’re going to change the end.”

“Well, I can see how the ending wouldn’t seem all that…commercial.” Chuck regrets the words as soon as they’re out. He was making a fool out of himself. “Um, would you like a drink?”

❖

Kevin escapes to the front entrance. He couldn’t handle another single question about Riverdale.

“Hi! You’re Kevin, right?”

He spins around at the voice, a smile lighting up his face when he sees the girl from the other week. “You’re Tina, Raj’s sister.”

She nods as she approaches him, “Yeah. We, um, met at-”

“Bendels. I remember.”

Marty Mantle approaches him from behind and Kevin doesn’t notice until his friend’s dad is cupping his shoulder. “Kevin! Good to see you. How’s Riverdale?”

“It’s the town with pep. Very, um, peppy.”

Marty laughs, wagging his finger as he continues to the bathroom.

Kevin rolls his eyes then turns to Tina again.

Her brows are arched and there’s a amused twinkle in her eyes, “The town with pep?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got time.”

“It’s a little dark.”

“I can handle it.”

❖

Serving drinks wasn’t exactly what Raj had in mind, but at least it gave him an in at the party. He had his father to thank for this. He’d just wait for J.L Hall to come over and make conversation then.

He clears his throat as Josie approaches, “You wanna go to Yale?”

“Brown, actually. I just have this whole thing with Xandra.”

“I get it. Your mom is the mayor and your stepdad is the chief of police. Since you don’t actually have to worry about getting into college, you can make this entire evening about screwing over someone else.”

He feels guilty at the flash of hurt that crosses her features, but his bitterness had won over him in that second.

“How about you make me that drink so I can go?”

He nods, pouring some punch into a cup then handing it to her. She takes it then walks away and it isn’t long before someone takes her place. This time it’s Chuck.

“So, what’s he like?”

“Like a Dartmouth English professor that I have absolutely nothing in common with.”

“You should mention Dr. Seuss. Theo Giselle was his real name, he went to Dartmouth. Hall says he got the idea for “The Petting Zoo” from the Lorax.”

“Why are you helping me?” Chuck asks, genuinely confused.

Raj shrugs, “Why not?”

“I was actually just about to get some fresh air. Why don’t you take these over to him?”

Raj doesn’t get a chance to answer before Chuck is placing the cups in his hands and walking away.

❖

Chuck barely makes it two steps before his dad is on him, grabbing his arm and pulling him back.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Going for a walk.”

“No, you’re not. Go back to that table and finish what you started.”

Chuck wrenches his arm away. He was tired of taking all this crap. “You meant what you started. I don’t want to go to Dartmouth, I never have. There I said it. Now, back off!”

He fixes his jacket as he walks off, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

❖

“May I please have everyone’s attention?”

Reggie breaks away from his conversation with Trev as Xandra starts to talk, standing on the stage at the front.

“Welcome to the Constance Billard/St. Jude’s Ivy mixer. I’m Alexandra Cabot, the chair of the community outreach program.”

He claps along with everyone else, looking around the crowd for Chuck. He hasn’t seen him in a while.

“Every year, our schools choose to support one local institution that we feel benefits our community. This year our schools have chosen to honor the Ostroff Center. This year’s choice is a very personal one because the center has helped one of our own.”

“What’s going on?”

“No idea,” Trev replies.

“It’s because of their excellent program which aids so many young addicts and alcoholics, that a student here with us today is clean and sober… _at least for now._ Can I please have Josephine McCoy join me on stage?”

Reggie chances a look at Josie. She stood next to her mom, Kevin, and Tom, looking utterly distraught. He wonders whether it was true or if this was just part of the fight.

❖

Kevin folds his legs as he sits opposite Tina on the floor. He expects to see judgement on her face, but she just looked understanding.

“We moved into a hotel and it was just the two of us and I was really lonely.”

“So, that’s when you…”

He nods. “I ended up at the Ostroff Center. My dad says that they’re the best councilors but what they really get paid for is to keep their mouths shut.”

“I won’t say anything, I promise,” Tina reassures him.

“Thanks.”

“So, do you wanna go back in?”

“And answer more questions about Riverdale,” Kevin snorts.

“I actually know someone who lives there. I can help think of some material.”

He smiles graciously, following her lead as she rises from the floor. Looks like he had a new friend.

❖

Josie pushes past the lump in her throat as everyone continues to stare at her.

“Tell me this isn’t happening,” Kevin’s dad begs.

“It’s not,” Kevin retorts.

Josie reaches out and grabs his arm as he starts towards the stage. He had rejoined them in time to hear the end of Xandra’s speech and she didn’t need him putting his business out there to save her.

“You’re not going up there. You’re going to stand right here, okay?”

“Whatever you’re doing, think about who’s standing in this room right now.”

Josie ignores her mom as she walks towards the stage, coming to stand next to Alexandra who looked all too pleased with herself.

“Don’t even try to deny it, I have pictures.”

Josie takes a deep breath as she faces the crowd and all she think is why did she ever come back to this hellhole.

“Hi, I’m Josie McCoy. I just wanna thank my friend,” she pauses as she glances at the girl over her shoulder, wringing her hands as she looks straight ahead again, “Alexandra Cabot for recognizing the Ostroff Center and all of the good they do. Thanks, Xandra.”

> **Honesty may be the best policy in some zip codes, but not in this one and not this week. Cause ‘I Was a Teenage Drug Addict’ is not exactly a winning college essay.**

Josie walks off the stage and to the bathrooms and her mom must’ve missed the obvious sign that she wanted to be alone. She grabs some tissue and dabs her eyes, careful not to mess up her makeup.

“Why is Alexandra outing you for a drug problem you don’t have? You don’t, do you?”

“Mom!”

“Well, it’s not like we have a open relationship.”

“And that’s my fault?”

“Look, what happened between Tom and I and with Kevin put a strain on things, but we are a family.”

“I know that. Why do you think I did what I just did? If you’ll excuse me,” she squares her shoulders, “I think it’s time that I made my exit.”

❖

Raj jogs to catch up with Josie as she heads for the courtyard, calling out her name. He knows he’s probably the last person she wanted to talk to.

“What?” She spins around angrily. “Do you want to congratulate me on destroying my future?”

“No. I-I just wanted to see if you were okay. What you did in there for you brother, that was…that was very cool.”

“How do you know about my brother?”

“Uh, he told Tina and Tina told me. Look, no one will ever hear it from me,” he swears, placing his hand over his heart and he can see her expression softening. “If you ever need someone to talk to _or_ not talk to, I’d be happy to be that person for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And I’m sorry about what I said before. I was just upset about losing Dartmouth and-”

“It’s okay,” she interrupts him. “I just really need to get out of here.”

“Sure. Yeah. Sure.”

“But I’ll take you up on that not talking thing later. I’ll call you.”

“I’ll answer.”

❖

“Alexandra, can I talk to you? It will only take a minute.”

She shrugs, excusing herself from Katy and Didi as she follows Kevin.

“Josie’s not a patient at the Ostroff Center,” he begins, and she was already expecting him to defend his stepsister.

“Kev, you’ve always been a sweet kid and I understand you wanting to protect-”

“I am.”

She smiles placatingly, “Kevin, I’ve never even seen you take a drink.”

“I’m not an alcoholic. I did this.”

He yanks his sleeve down, revealing the scar on his wrist and Xandra stiffens.

“Kevin, I…I didn’t-”

“See that coming? Must be a shock for someone who thinks they know everything.”

Alexandra stares at the ground while he storms off, listening to the sound of his receding footsteps.

“What was that all about,” Katy asks once she returns.

“Nothing.”

❖

Chuck comes to a slow stop beside Reggie as they happen upon his dad and the Dartmouth rep. He asked Reggie to come jogging with himself and his dad to be a buffer, but apparently he didn’t need to.

After the brunch, he went and packed a bag then crashed at Reggie’s for the night. He figured some space would be good.

“Good to see you, son! You too, Reggie. Turns out Jeff’s a runner too,” his dad places his hand on the other man’s shoulder.

“Glad to see you feeling better,” Hall says to him. “Your dad told me about your little bout of food poisoning.”

Chuck should’ve known his father would have never let this go easily.

❖

Josie doesn’t look up from her book as Xandra’s stands in front of the bench, shadow looming over her. There was nothing more that they had to say to each other.

“Whenever something’s bothering you, I can always find you here.”

She ignores her, flipping to the next page. Whenever her mom and dad were fighting, she’d sneak out and come to Central Park which was more often that it was not. The bench had the perfect spot under a tree.

Alexandra reaches inside her purse and retrieves an envelope, holding it in front of her book so she has no choice but to look at it.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a letter. I wrote it to you while you were away at boarding school. I just never sent it.”

Josie sets the book and stands upright, leaves crunching under her feet as she gives her friend an exasperated look, “I’m not in the mood to fight with you any longer.”

She takes the letter out of the envelope then reads it, “Dear Josie, my world is falling apart and you’re the only one who would understand. My mom left my dad for a 31 year old model—a female model. I feel like screaming because I don’t have anyone to talk to.”

Josie feels a lump form in her throat, tears springing to the corner of her eyes. She knows how much it sucked when her parents finally divorced, and she wishes that she had been there for Xandra.

“You’re gone. My brother’s gone. My mom’s gone. Chuck’s acting weird. Where are you? Why didn’t you call? Why did you leave without saying goodbye? You’re supposed to be my best friend. I miss you so much. Love, X.”

“Why didn’t you send it? I could’ve-”

“Could’ve what?” Xandra interrupts her, on the verge of breaking down. “You knew and you didn’t even call.”

“I didn’t know what to say or how to be your friend after what I did. I’m so sorry.”

“Kevin told me what happened,” Alexandra replies after a beat of silence. “I guess your family’s been going through a hard time too.”

Josie nods because, _yeah_ , they have. She’s not sure what else to say but she can’t think of any words that feel appropriate for this moment.

“I just want things to go back to the way they were.”

Xandra shakes her head, “I don’t. I want us to start over.”

> **Spotted in Central Park: two white flags waving. Could an Upper East Side peace accord be far off? So, what will it be? Truce or consequences? We all know one nation can’t have two queens. What happens next? Only time will tell. XOXO, Gossip Girl.**


End file.
